Railway weed cutter



Oct. 20,1925. 1,551,934

J. HEINZ f RAILWAY WEED CUTTER Filed Jan. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fw Hiv' Oct. 2,0, 1925- J. HEINZ RAILWAY wEED GUTTER Filed Jan. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Shet 2 J. HEiNZ RAILWAY WERD GUTTER oct. 2o, 1925, 1,551,934

Filed Jan. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 20, 1925'.

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@Application filed .anuaryi 19M.' Seial 1355534537. l

T0 all whom Ait may Gmceru.'

le it 'known- Athat Jrfine's al citizen of the United States, residing' at Sutton, in the-county of'Clayand 'Stateof Nebraska', has vinvented ,certain i'i'ew and vuseful Im'- provemen'ts in Railway `lVeed Cutters, :of whichthe following is aspec'ification. A

This invention is-i the way'of'a railway weed-cutterforunower, and the obj'ectfis to provide Aa relatively simpleva-nd practical implement 'cf this kind, adaptedfo'r'mountl ing upon fa truck, hand carQorVthe like,f1so that it can he n'iovedalong ya Ivr'ailroald `anjd operated for -cut'ti'ng the -weeds'and grass at either side of thef'track."

In the drawing- Y Figure .1erear elevation of the machine as mounted upon the truck for operation on a railroad;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is a side elevation;

Figure 4 .is a detail of the telescoping drive bar;

Figure 5 is a detail of the sickle elevation lever;

Figure 6 is a` detail showing the mounting of the mower track upon the railway truck.

In combination with the railway truck 1, moving on the railroad track 10, the invention includes a mower track 2 mounted transversely on the truck 1, the said track 2 being made up of spaced channel rails 3 secured in parallel elevated position by clamps 4 which are in turn bolted to the lower cross ties 5 secured to the truck 1. The channels of the rails 3 are turned inwardly, and slidingly engage the horizontal flanges 6 of the angle bars 7 The vertical Aflanges 8 of the angle bars 7 are bolted to the outer vertical sides of the stringers 9. The stringers 9 are held apart and the horizontal flanges 6 of the angle bars 7 are held in sliding engagement with the channels of the rails 3 by means of spacing beams 1l laid across and secured to the stringers at each end of the structure, and a foot-board 12 is mounted upon the ties 5, thus'completing a frame 13, which is slidingly mounted upon the truck and adapted to support the other elements of the invention as Well as the operator. An engine 14 is mounted at one end of this sliding frame 13, the same having a pulley wheel 15. Upon the opposite end of this frame is erected a vertical sickle supporting frame 16, comprising side beams 17 secured to the ends of the stringers 9, cross bracesf fastenetl'to the "beamsfl', and back braces 119: A- main drive? shaftl2 isijournaled at21 acrossthetop of the sickle frame 16, and carries medi-allya bevel gear 22 and atY its irear end 1a pulley* whel723 'aligned with the pulley-15 ofthe engine; Theysickle frame-16dependsgatfone `side of the truck 1, yas shown, 'and'f'fromthislower end is'pivotally supported Vthe usual mower headii24,v byl mea'nsof a V-shaped b'racef25,

theape-i; of the: brace-being pivotallyc'onnectedlat- 26'tothehed-.24, andthe ends thereof being pivoted for vertical move'- ment at the points 27 to the fra1neiz1`6. A .telescoping'drive shaft 28,1mad'e-"up of a squaredbar .29telescpically mounted- 1in fa squared sleeve 30,- is connected .rbyjnneansof a universal joint 31 to a jack shaft 57 journaled at 58 to the lower brace 18, and the shaft 57 carries at its upper end a bevel `gear 32 in mesh with the Oear 22; While the lower end is journaled through the housing 33 and carries a bevel gear 34 in mesh with a similar gear 35 on the sickle drive shaft 36 which drives the pitman rod 37 attached to the sickle blade 38. The drive shaft 36 is journaled through the housing 33 at the points 56. The sickle blade is slidingly mounted in the sickle bar 39, which is Aivoted to the sickle head 24, all in usual orm. A hoisting chain 40 is attached at 41 to the V-brace 25, extended over a pulley 42 secured to the brace 18 at the point 43, and fastened to a lever 44 at the point- 45, whereby means are afforded for hoisting the ent-ire working end yof the apparatus, including the V-brace 25, clear of any obstruction, or while the apparatus is being moved from place to place.

n Finally, a sickle elevating leverage system is provided, the same including the vertical bar 46 journaled at 47 to the forward side of the frontal beam 17, and being formed with a crank arm 48`at the top end, a lever arm 49 at the lower end, and an eye 50 at the 'extremity of the latter. A link 51 is then pivoted at 52 to a vertical lug 53 on top of the sickle bar 39, and the opposite end is provided with an eye 54 which is linked through the eye 50 of the arm 49. By turning the crank arm 48, the sickle bar 39 is elevated while the V-brace 25 remains stationary. Thus the sickle and bar may be raised independently of the V-brace 25, for passing over some temporary obstruction. This mower is operated by a belt 55 connecting the pulleys 15 and 23. The truck l is pushed along the track at the same time that the mowing machinery is in operation, thus cutting the weeds v,along the right of way. By means of the slidin frame 13, which may be thrust out lateral y or drawn in, as desired, means are afforded for widening the extent of the cut or swath. By means of the pivotal mounting of the V-brace 25 and sicklel bar 39, these elements may be readily lowered at a descending angle, in order to cut the grass along the sloping sides of a road bed.

While I have herein described a certain specific manner and method of constructing and assembling the elementsof my invention, it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor details, not departing from the spirit of my invention, soV as best to construct a practical4 device for the purpose intended, as defined in the appended claim. f 1 f I claim: Y

In combination with a railway truck meansv for 'adjustably and operatively 'mount-ing the cutting elements ofV a grass mowerupon said railway truck, said means comprising a frame on the truck adapted for lateral sliding movement thereupon; a sickle supporting frame attached at an end of thesliding frame and depending at the vside ofhthe truck; a brace Yconnecting thev sickle head to the lower end of the sicklel frame for vertical pivotal movement; meansr for elevating the sickle bar, said means comprising a vertical bar pivoted to the sickle frame and Jformed with a crank arm at the top and a lever arm at therbottom, said lever arm being connectedfto the sickle bar by means oi' a link; independent means for .elevating the said connecting brace, said means comprising a chain which is'secured to the said connecting brace, passed over a pulley and securedv to a ylever pivoted to the sliding frame; and means'or driving the usual sickle drive shaft, said means being telescopically and pivotally adjustable to vmeet the relatively raised or lowered position of the said connecting brace.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

J ULIUS HEINZ. 

